Snow Patrol win four Meteor awards

Northern Ireland band Snow Patrol swept the boards at the star studded Meteor Ireland Music Awards tonight as they strutted away from Dublin's Point Theatre with four gongs.

The band fronted by Gary Lightbody fought off competition from the Divine Comedy, The Frames and Humanzi to claim the Best Irish Band accolade at the seventh Meteor Awards.

Best Irish Female winner Luan Parle collects her award at the 2007 Meteor Music Awards at Dublin's Point Theatre.

But the attention was not all on the awards being handed over as bands including rockers The Feeling, Pussycat Dolls, Amy Winehouse, Kaiser Chiefs, Director, The Blizzards, as well as Westlife and Ronan Keating set the venue hopping.

Presenter comedian Deirdre O'Kane donned a showgirl outfit as she entertained the packed Point Theatre, along with television's bachelor brothers Podge and Rodge. Screams drowned out the presenters as Kaiser Chiefs performing Ruby were the first band to rock the stage.

After her performance, Amy Winehouse, dressed in a black and red busty dress with her long black hair piled up on top of her head, said: "I might go say hello to the Kaiser Chiefs. I don't get to go home much at the moment and the Kaiser Chiefs remind me of Camden."

Home-grown favourites - Westlife- scored for a seventh year in a row as they walked away with the Best Irish Pop Act.

The boy band strolled down the red carpet accompanied by their wives and partners including Taoiseach's daughter Georgina Ahern and Hollyoaks star Jodie Albert, who donned a low-cut burnt-gold Gucci dress for the occasion.

Snow Patrol, who are due to tour Europe, Australia and New Zealand before returning to North America, also secured the public's vote in the Best Live Performance category. They went on to win the Best Irish Album for Eyes Open and the Most Downloaded Irish Song Award.

Lightbody said: "We spent most of this year in the State's as we are doing very well over there. The only time we are going to play in Ireland this year is Oxegen (correct) so we are really looking forward to that."

The band has broken into the US market with Eyes Open selling over a million copies there.

The rockers are giving 10% of royalties from sales of Open Your Eyes to a major Save the Children campaign. Their record label, Polydor, has agreed to match the donation.

The song, which featured in the first episode of the new series of hit US drama ER, is out in the UK and Ireland on February 12. Today FM's Ray D'Arcy scored a hat-trick as he took the Best DJ award for the third time.

Miss Ireland Sarah Morrissey and television comedian PJ Gallagher from Naked Camera presented boxer Damien Dempsey with his award for Best Irish Male. He fought off competition from David Kitt, Van Morrison, Mundy, Fionn Regan and Duke Special to be crowned Best Irish Male.

Dublin band Director's single Reconnect has proved a chart hit and propelled the band to the Best New Irish Act accolade.

Best International Band went to the Scissor Sisters, while the Best International Album went to Arctic Monkey for 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'.

Radio veteran Larry Gogan was presented with the Industry Award at the event. It was presented in recognition of the 2fm DJ's contribution to Irish music and his support of up-and-coming acts.

Paul Brady, director of The Belvedere Youth Club, was presented with the Humanitarian Award together with a cheque for €100,000.